It's not uncommon to regularly run into one's MCC friends around the neighborhood. Area restaurants, the St. Anthony Main Theater, Dunn Brothers, Abiitan's Porter Cafe, the Guthrie Theatre, Izzy's Ice Cream, Lunds, Surdyk's, the USPO or downtown library are just a few regular haunts where chance meetings occur.

Now that warmer weather has arrived, the Mill City Farmers Market can be added to the list. The season opener is this Saturday, May 5, 8 am - 1 pm, rain or shine! If you're new to our neighborhood, this is a must-see experience with local produce, art, music and kids' activities. Located right next to the Guthrie at 704 S. 2nd Street, the entire neighborhood and beyond seemingly pours out into the streets, strolling, biking, dog-walking -- you name it! a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning. I hope to see you there!

If you've registered for next Monday's 10th Anniversary Celebration at Surly Brewing Co., 520 Malcolm Ave S.E., you may want to carpool as the parking lot fills quickly! Doors open at 5:30 pm; program begins at 6:15 pm; Cash bar, beer and soft drinks only. Plan to try the beer cocktail created specially for our event, The Village Suds!

MILL CITY COMMONS: We learn. We share. We engage. We give.

~ Joan Wright

Rendezvous Readers' Book Chat

Wednesday, May 2, 9:30 - 10:30 am

Abiitan's Porter Cafe, 428 2nd St S

Join us to discuss
Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow. An extraordinary tapestry, Ragtime captures the spirit of America in the era between the turn of the century and the First World War. The story opens in 1906 in New Rochelle, New York, at the home of an affluent American family. One lazy Sunday afternoon, the famous escape artist Harry Houdini swerves his car into a telephone pole outside their house. And almost magically, the line between fantasy and historical fact, between real and imaginary characters, disappears. Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J. P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbit, Sigmund Freud and Emiliano Zapata slip in and out of the tale, crossing paths with Doctorow's imagined family and other fictional characters, including an immigrant peddler and a ragtime musician from Harlem whose insistence on a point of justice drives him to revolutionary violence.

If you'd like to read ahead, June's book is The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell. Have a book suggestion for the Book Chat? Email bgoldner@me.com.

MCC members and guests. No registration required.

Men's Coffee and Conversation

Thursday, May 3, 7:30 - 8:30 am

Elsie's Restaurant, 729 Marshall St NE

It's caffeine and camaraderie for the male members of MCC and guests! This group meets every other Thursday and is hosted by various members who get the conversation going. Please register by the Monday prior to Men's Coffee and Conversation. This week, MCC member Dick Kavaney hosts speaker Jen Stern. Learn about how Great MN Schools (GMS) is making strategic investments in proven and promising schools, providing the expert guidance, funding and resources great schools need to grow and succeed. Jen Stern, CEO, will join us to share GMS' perspective on the current state of Minneapolis schools and share the strategies GMS is pursuing to triple the number of underserved kids in Minneapolis attending high-performing schools to 10,000.

In this second in an ongoing MCC series, "Meet Your Local Representatives," members and guests will have a chance to hear from Park Board Commissioners Jono Cowgill, representing the 4th District (west side of the river), and Chris Meyer, representing the 1st District (east side of the river). The commissioners will talk about challenges and opportunities they see ahead for the Park Board, as well as any special initiatives they're working on.

Mill City Commons is celebrating its 10th Anniversary with lots to remember and even more to look forward to! An evening of revelry is "on tap" to kick off our 10th anniversary year at Surly Brewing. View an amazing slideshow of photos old and new, order a signature beer cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage, enjoy an array of delectable appetizers and sit back to enjoy some fun facts about our amazing organization from emcees Bill Davnie and Allan Burdick. Cash bar, with beer and soft drinks only; the fun, food and frolic are free! Carpooling is encouraged.

Registration is now closed.

Birding Walk 2Tuesday, May 8, 7:00 - 9:00 am

Location to be announced

Celebrate spring with a series of four bird-watching walks along the river! We hope to see migrating warblers and other songbirds. Jamie McBride, Naturalist Education Coordinator with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will lead the walks. Locations for the walks to be announced each week.

Join bridge players for a round of social bridge; levels of expertise and experience vary. Bring a partner if you can, and remember to register both yourself and your partner. Questions? Contact Carol Jordan at caroljordan@millcitycommons.org.

MCC women, you're invited to attend Our Turn: A Conversation for Women. This week, Carol Hovey hosts on the topic of "What's App?" What's an app? How do they work? What are your favorites? How do you use them? For social connections, travel directions, fitness, shopping or games? How do you stay safe while using an app? Bring your phones!

Our Turn meets every other Thursday, alternating between morning and afternoon times. Hosts and topics change each time.

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity serves more than just our metro area-it also strives for a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Through Habitat's Global Impact Fund and Global Village trips, the organization supports partner affiliates in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Learn more about a recent life-changing trip to Cambodia from Cathy Lawrence, Habitat's VP of Resource Development and Community Engagement; Tanya Bell, former Habitat board member; and Lee Schafer, StarTribune business and economics columnist, all of whom worked on a build there. Cathy also will talk about Twin Cities Habitat's new endeavors in Latin America.

Celebrate spring with a series of four bird-watching walks along the river! We hope to see migrating warblers and other songbirds. Jamie McBride, Naturalist Education Coordinator with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, will lead the walks. Locations for the walks to be announced each week.

Join us for a tour of the just-opened George Wellbeing Center at the new Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae. Open to Y members and nonmembers alike, the Center will offer evidence-based, integrative health practices that are shown to reduce stress, promote healing and improve health outcomes. The programs and experiences are designed to empower people to be the central agents of their own health and wellbeing. The Center is the first of its kind to be offered at any Y in the country. Meet at the George Wellbeing Center at the skyway level.

MCC Executive Director Joan Wright wants members to know that East Side Neighborhood Services is hosting its annual Night at the Nic (formally known as the East Side Wine Tasting), which includes samples of wine, tea and soda's, local cuisine and microbrews. Night at the Nic supports educational pathways for children and youth, social engagement for older adults and growth for families. The event is May 17, 5:00-8:00 pm, and tickets can be purchased
here.

Around Town

CarFit

May 5, 10:00 am-2:00 pm, Northeast Middle School, 2955 Hayes St NE

CarFit is a program intended to promote driver safety and comfort for drivers over the age of 55. Participants schedule a 20-minute appointment and a trained CarFit Technician walks through a 12-point checklist assessing the placement of adjustable safety features within the driver's vehicle. Click
here to learn more. To make an appointment, call (612) 668-1590 or email
sandim@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Angels in Human Form: Louise Dillery

May 8, 6:00-8:00 pm, Alliance Française Mpls/St Paul, 113 1st St N

Come to the Alliance to hear the incredible story of Louise Dillery, a Parisian-born, Jewish woman who survived France under Nazi occupation. Louise witnessed the descent of Paris into Nazi rule. She felt the rules tighten around herself, her father and other members of the Jewish community. While she survived tragedy, Louise maintains the importance of good people in dark times. Suggested donation of $10. For more information and to register, click
here. Presentation will be in English.

Global Conversations: Putin's Re-election - Stability or Stagnation?

May 9, 6:00-7:30 pm, Minneapolis Central Library, 300 Nicollet Mall

Join speaker Jill Dougherty, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center and former Moscow bureau chief and correspondent for CNN, for a thought-provoking evening as she discusses the future of Russian foreign policy and power in the region. Register and learn more
here.

Mill City Times is a local website devoted specifically to our neighborhood and a place to go to find out what's happening, whether it's a new restaurant opening, a local event, proposed construction, volunteer opportunities and more.